Wicklow overcame Cavan to chalk up their second successive qualifier win over Ulster opposition at Aughrim tonight.
Mick O’Dwyer's men fell behind to an early Seanie Johnston score but they revelled in the wet-weather conditions to move 1-06 to 0-05 ahead by half-time.
The talismanic duo of Tony Hannon and Leighton Glynn shone, and a centre from Glynn led to Paul Earls' punched goal.
Larry Reilly and Johnston did their best to get Cavan back in touch but a late Hannon free sealed the issue.
Roared on by a vocal home crowd, Wicklow played to their strengths, using the momentum from last weekend’s confidence-building win over Fermanagh to dominate a Cavan side that struggled for scores from open play.
O’Dwyer selected an unchanged team and his players made the better use of possession, settling well after Johnston popped a first minute free through the posts.
In wet conditions, both sides tried their best to adopt an open approach but as the first half wore on and the weather got worse, play became cramped between the 45-metre lines and Wicklow’s midfielders Thomas Walsh and James Stafford stood out in terms of ball-winning and fielding.
The lead changed hands before Cavan went 0-04 to 0-03 in front with points from Paul Brady, Ger Pierson and Johnston (free), after Wicklow had claimed scores through Patrick McWalter, Seanie Furlong (free) and JP Dalton.
Then Wicklow clinically pulled ahead. Hannon and Glynn knocked over frees before Glynn crossed the ball in for corner forward Paul Earls to beat goalkeeper James Reilly to the punch and collect the game’s only goal.
It was all Wicklow as this stage. Cavan brought the highly-rated Cian Mackey on, before the break, but he struggled to have an influence with Wicklow continuing to had the better of possession.
Hannon kicked two points – one from play – and Darren Hayden also chipped in with a point from play as the Garden county side made it 1-09 to 0-06. Larry Reilly, who had two goal-scoring chances smothered away by the Wicklow defence, pointed a free for Cavan’s sole reply.
Reilly and Johnston hit a brace of points as Cavan threatened a comeback but Tommy Carr’s charges, who were collectively disappointing for long stretches of this game, were second best in all areas of the pitch and Wicklow had a relatively easy passage into the third round.
